Not in Kansas anymore Toto!

Well not only are we not in Kansas, but we sure aren't in Qatar either! What a contrast.

Anyway just thought I would upload a couple of photos to let you all know we are still alive and kicking. This is our 5th night in Al Ain and we are doing ok... although a bit tired and worn out. It is not an easy life staying in the Intercontinental Hotel trying to get some furniture for our new home before I actually have to start living there.

Al Ain is as green as we were told... and it is far more peaceful than Doha. It really does have a nice atmosphere about it. I have already been to the college a couple of times, sat in on some classes and met some of my future students. I have also already finished my Residence Permit process, which should come through next week sometime (VERY quick).

What to say about Al Ain! The scenery is different... the people are different... and there are A LOT of date palms... everywhere! The added bonus is Oman is just out the window (well from the hotel anyway) and we are really looking forward to exploring when K and A come back for good. They are flying back on Saturday... and no one is looking forward to that!

I suppose one of the major surprises for me anyway is just how big our new home actually is! It just makes our place in Doha look like a shoe box! Actually make that a shoe box that has been left out in the rain for a month! Added to the size of the place is the fact it is right behind the biggest mall in Al Ain... anyway no doubt we will have much more to say about the 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, the far too many doors and lights, as well as the funny little maid's quarters in the future!

We will get around to telling all, but for now we are pretty sure that the Qatar and UAE experiences will be worlds apart! So that should make for interesting reading hopefully.

Impending Travels

Well it is under a week until we head over to the UAE. We are all going over on Sunday, but unfortunately K and A will have to return the following Saturday until a replacement actually takes over from her at work, or her notice period is up (whichever comes first). I am very happy they are coming over with me, but just really wish they didn’t have to come back!

As well as being flown over to Abu Dhabi, collected from the airport and driven out to Al Ain, we are also put up in a hotel for the first 6 nights and provided a “meal allowance”. During this first week I will be taken through the Residents Permit process along with the whole settling in thing. As accommodation is more or less provided as a shell, it is up to us to go around and purchase the furnishings and electrical stuff during this first week to make it habitable. This is all done with the “relocation allowance” provided… will be nice to go on a shopping spree at someone else’s expense! After that first 6 days is up I have just over a week to prepare for the 4 courses I am taking over… SCARY!

I must say I have been impressed by HCT thus far (I know… I am not even there yet). Everything has just seemed far more organised and professional than what we experience here. Right from the time I was contacted last December when I couldn’t make it over for an interview to now, a week before departure, it has been a good experience.

Although the initial offer they made was good, I wasn’t overjoyed with my starting salary. I was informed last week that my monthly salary has already been increased two pay increments… and you have to be happy with a substantial pay rise before you even start work! At the most I know I will be working as hard as K does here, and for the higher salary, better living conditions, and environment/lifestyle we are hoping Al Ain provides, I can handle that. Even the flexibility of HCT with my start date has been good. Originally my offer was for commencement on March 11th and I really didn’t think I would be able to make it over until the beginning of the 2007/2008 academic year in August. With not much negotiation at all, we worked out a mid-semester starting date that tied in perfectly with the term break at school here in Doha. I am sure my future colleagues will be happy to pass over their increased teaching load to me when I arrive!

I don't know if I am feeling stress or excitment yet, but I am looking forward to experiencing the Emirates and actually working (... as I am sure K is). It will be good to have some sort of routine as it is far too easy fall into a rountine of not doing very much at all (but I have discovered Civilization IV can easily kill numerous hours here and there)! I think the last 7 months has made me dumb down a bit, although the Qatar experience has been very worthwhile I am pretty sure work would have made it better.

Anyway fingers crossed everything goes smoothly, and in the not too distant future there is going to be a whole other experience to share with you all! I will be starting up a UAE blog and then when we are all over in the UAE we will just leave this one as it is, but link back and forth between them. I am sure we have several thoughts and things we will want to say once removed from this environment, but that is in the future.

Cruising the ‘burbs

Language is a funny thing, and translation is never as easy as it first looks. With direct translation from one language into another there are so many aspects of meaning that can be lost. The names of the suburbs (zones or whatever you actually want to refer to them as here) are a good example. As you drive around you may go through Father Fish, New Salad or Old Salad among others (these are just the ones that come to mind). Of course these are direct translations of the words and more than likely have very little to do with the meaning of the place name … this makes me wonder how strange something like New Farm or Slade Point might sound when translating those words directly rather than the actual name.